Packing machine



Aprilyzs, 1964 J. M. ANDERSEN 3,130,528

PACKING MACHINE Filed May 22, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 H I14 I05 INVENTOR JOHN MORITZ ANDERSEN BY W/ April 28, 1964 J. M. ANDERSEN 3,130,528

PACKING MACHINE Filed May 22, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 \\\\g5 l l INV ENT OR April 28, 1964 J. M. ANDERSEN PACKING MACHINE '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 22, 1959 INVENTOR JOHN MORITZ ANDERSEN Y a M 7 EYS April 8, 1964 J. M. ANDERSEN 3,130,528

PACKING MACHINE Compressed INVENTOR JOHN MORITZ 'ANDERSEN 8 M1 Wm April 28, 1964 J. M. ANDERSEN PACKING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 22, 1959 Compressed Air INVENTOR JOHN MORITZ ANDERSEN BY mm! 7 01.4 EYS J. M. ANDERSEN PACKING MACHINE Filed May 22, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR.

s m V. s m R D O N A w Z A H R 0 M 7 N M H 0 J B n 1 n April 28, 1964 J. M. ANDERSEN 3,130,528

PACKING MACHINE Filed May 22, 1959 7 Sheets-Shet 7 COMPRESSED AIR INVEN TOR. JOHN MORITZ ANDERS EN ATTOR YS United States Patent 3,139,528 PACKDIG MACHENE John Moritz Andersen, Bergen, Norway, assignor to A/S Hansa Bryggeri, Bergen, Norway Fiied May 22, B59, ESer. No. 815,622 35 Qlaims. (Cl. 535'5) The present invention relates to a packing machine for packing objects, such as bottles in containers, such as bottle cases, and more particularly relates to an automatic conveying and packing machine for automatically conveying or feeding the containers, such as empty bottle cases and the objects to be packed, such as the filled bottles, to the packing machine, transferring, within the packing machine, the filled :and capped bottles from a bottle conveyor track into the empty case disposed on a case conveyor track, and upon filling the empty case with the prerequisite number of bottles, automatically transporting the filled case for further disposition.

Additionally, the present invention relates to an automatic pneumatic control system for automatically feeding the bottles and cases to the packing machine and for automatically transferring within the packing machines the filled bottles into the cases.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, relatively inexpensive, and reliable packing machine for packing objects, such as bottles, in empty cases.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a system for automatically feeding the correct number of bottles on the conveyor track for the filled bottles, and to initiate the actual transfer cycle operative to transfer the bottles into the empty cases when the prerequisite number of bottles are in the proper positions thereof.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a pneumatic control system for automatically controlling the cycling operation of the packing machine in a reliable and safe manner, and to prevent faulty operation thereof.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a case feeding arrangement operative to feed the empty bottle cases into the packing machine in the required manner.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a simple control system including pneumatic and electric controls for operating the feed system for the empty bottle cases feeding the same into the packing machine to be filled thereat with the filled and capped bottles.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a packing machine provided with a bottlegripping head in which the individual bottle gripping cups may be readily replaced and interchanged, for example, in case of defects or repairs or to adapt the machine to other objects to be packed.

Still a further object of the present invention is the provision of a bottle-gripping head provided with bottlegripping cups which may be readily converted into a system automatically detecting defects in the quantity as well as in the quality of the individual bottles.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a packing machine for packing bottles into empty cases which is automatically controlled and which prevents in a very reliable manner any faulty operations thereof.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which shows, for purposes of illustration only, one embodiment in accordance with the present invention and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partial perspective View of the over-all construction of the packing machine in accordance with "ice the present invention illustrating the main components thereof which transfer the filled bottles from a bottle conveyor track into an empty case disposed on a case convey'or track by means of a bottle-gripping head mounted and guided on the frame structure of the machine;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic top plan view showing a section of the bottle conveyor track and the automatic distributor arrangement thereof in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a partial perspective view of the bottle conveyor track, the case conveyor track, and the bottlegripping head in its various operating positions in relation to certain cam actuating members and to the conveyor tracks;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged elevational view of an impulse control valve for the pneumatic control system in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a partly schematic diagrammatic view of the control system in accordance with the present invention for elfecting the horizontal movement of the bottlegripp-ing head showing certain parts thereof in cross section on an enlarged scale for purposes of clarity;

FIGURE 6 is a partly schematic diagrammatic view of the bottle-gripping head in side elevational view and partly in section and indicating the operative connection thereof illustrated schematically with the different valves forming part of the pneumatic control system efiecting the vertical movement of the bottle-gripping head;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective enlarged view of a cam ar rangement forming part of the bottle-gripping-head control system in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 8 is a schematic diagrammatic view, showing certain of the operating members in cross section on an enlarged scale, of the control system cooperating with the cam arrangement of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, through a bottle-gripping cup in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 10 is a somewhat schematic side-elevational view of the forward conveying system for the empty and filled cases in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE l l is a top plan View of the forward conveying system illustration in FIGURE 10; and

FIGURE 12 is a schematic perspective view of the for ward conveyor system for the cases used in the packing machine in accordance with the present invention.

The packing machine in accordance with the present invention comprises a first conveyor track, which will be referred to hereinafter as the bottle conveyor track, on which bottles are moved forwardly in irregular sequence to an end station, located within the packing machine, and another conveyor track, which will be referred to hereinafter as the case conveyor track, on which cases are also moved forwardly in an irregular sequence to the filling station also located within the packing machine in accordance with the present invention. Additionally, the packing machine in accordance with the present invention includes a bottle-gn'pping-head which, in the course of an operating cycle, is actuated and moved in such a manner that the bottles on the first conveyor track, i.e., on the bottle conveyor track, are gripped by the bottle-gripping-head, are thereupon transported from the bottle conveyor track to the case conveyor track, and, thereafter, are placed into an empty case disposed on the case convey'or track within the filling station.

Additionally, control devices are provided in the packing machine according to the present invention for initiating the operating cycle from an initial position of the various parts thereof in which the bottle-gripping-head had been stopped upon completion of the previous op erating cycle if such stoppage is occasioned, for instance,

I; by idling or faulty operational conditions of the packing machine.

The operating cycle of the packing machine in accordance with the present invention is subdivided into two consecutive periods, namely, into a first period in which the bottles are gripped by the bottle-gripping-head and are transported to an intermediate position and into a second period in which the bottles are transported from this so-called intermediate position over to the empty case awaiting the bottles within the filling station and the actual emptying or filling of the bottles down and into the empty case. The first operating period is thereby controlled by control devices which are effected or actuated by the bottles through impulse control devices and are placed into operation when all of the impulses necessary for proper operation thereof are received so as to indicate thereby that a sufiicient supply of bottles, i.e., the prerequisite number of bottles is available for packing purposes. Accordingly, one of the primary objects of the present invention is to achieve an effective control for the packing machine.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the aforementioned second period is initiated or actuated by governing or control devices in such a manner as to constitute a continuation of the first period which control or governing devices in turn are actuated by impulse control devices receiving the corresponding control impulses from an empty case when in the proper position on the case conveyor track at the filling station. It is, therefore, an additional object of the present invention and a requirement for proper operation of the packing machine in accordance with the present invention which automatically packs a predetermined number of bottles, for example, twenty-four in number, into a case located at a predetermined position on a conveyor track within the machine, that the empty cases are brought forward or supplied to this position in a manner which is as continuous as possible so that the empty cases will not accumulate and cause mutual interference and disturbance in case the operation of the packing machine per se, should stop for any reason whatsoever.

Accordingly, it is also a purpose and object of the present invention to provide an effective forward conveying or feed system for the empty cases through the packing machine in accordance with the present invention which packs a predetermined number of bottles or the like into each case whereby the forward conveying or supply system of the cases is so controlled that the empty cases are only moved or conveyed in the forward direction thereof when such forward conveyance cannot disturb or impair the smooth flow and even movement of the cases through the packing machine.

For that purpose, the present invention provides a control system for bringing forwardly or supplying empty cases into the packing machine in which the empty cases to be filled within the packing machine with objects, such as bottles, are conveyed to a packing point or station within the machine where the empty case is automatically filled and then continues its forward transportation, and in which the transportation of the filled cases away from the packing point is automatically released or initiated by the weight of the filled case to actuate a trip starting mechanism in the form of a catch lever. The trip starting mechanism including the catch lever, according to another feature of the present invention, is provided additionally with an impulse control device which upon release of the filled case, i.e., when the case no longer rests against the catch lever, will initiate the resumed conveyance of empty cases for further transportation into the packing machine, and more particularly, to the packing point thereof.

The present invention also relates, in its more general aspect, to the control of those mac ines and apparatus which are operative, by the use of a pneumatic medium under pressure, such as compressed air, to perform working operations on certain goods as soon as certain prerequisite conditions have been complied with.

In the automatic operation of industrial plants, it happens oftentimes that one kind of goods or materials will be supplied to a particular machine which will also receive, at some other time, some other kind of goods or materials upon which this same machine will also perform a working operation that will act simultaneously only on a certain quantity of each. As a typical example of this general type of machines may be mentioned packing machines Where the produced and/ or processed goods are supplied to the packing machines, for example, on a conveyor belt while the machine is also supplied at the same time with packaging means, for example, on another conveyor belt onto which a certain number or a certain quantity of the produced or processed goods is transferred by a packing head or the like from the goods conveyor belt to the packing means on the packaging conveyor belt.

Experience has taught that not even in the best-organized industrial plants will the flow of goods run evenly and continually at all times. Consequently, every automatic working operation for such machines or installations calls for an appropriate control system which will start the operating cycle only on the condition that certain prerequisite requirements have been met. When packing, for example, objects brittle in packaging, it will be necessary that the working operation will be performed only if the correct number of undamaged objects are present and that the packaging means will be in the correct position within the packaging means.

Accordingly, the present invention also aims at producing a very simple system for the control of such interrelated working operations where the operation will only be performed when several prerequisites have been complied with.

The control system with which the present invention is concerned is of the type in which compressed air is supplied to the pneumatic devices which operate or initiate the different steps of the operation thereof by means of suitable slide valve control devices, the piston-type or spool-like slide members of which reciprocate between two end positions of which one may be, for instance, an active position and the other an inactive position or in which both positions may be active positions.

According to the present invention, the pistonor spool-.

type slide member of a slide valve is caused to be moved from one end position thereof to the other by a pressure chamber, located at one end of the slide member which is supplied with compressed air connected in a line system in parallel with the compressed air supply leading to the impulse control valves so as to cause an increase in pressure or over-pressure in this chamber, in case and only in case all of the respective impulse control valves are closed.

The impulse control valves according to the present invention are thereby so interconnected with each other that the corresponding valve is closed at the exact moment the condition has been complied with at those points of the operating cycle where this condition has to be complied with, and is opened again when this condition no longer exists. The opposite end of the control valve in accordance with the present invention may be either spring-loaded to obtain the return movement thereof or may be so constructed as to form a pressure chamber operative to effect the return movement by compressed air within this pressure chamber.

According to another feature in accordance with the present invention, this last-mentioned end of the control slide valve may, in other cases, have a greater or smaller pressure surface than the first-mentioned end thereof. In case the pressure surfaces of the spools of the slide valve assemblies are of different sizes, i.e., where one of the slide members has a greater pressure surface, closure of the impulse control valve in parallel with the other pressure chamber will immediately cause the slide assembly to be moved to the opposite end position thereof. On the other hand, where the pressure surfaces are essentially the same, the slide member will be moved to the opposite position thereof only when one of the impulse control valves connected with the first pressure chamber is eifectively opened.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Bottle Supply System Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the various views to designate corresponding parts, and more particularly to FIG- URE 1 thereof, reference numeral 42 generally designates a roller-type conveyor section by which an empty case is carried forward into a position corresponding to a predetermined packing position and is stopped thereat by devices not shown in this view. The control devices stopping the empty cases and releasing the same upon being filled by the weight of the case in such a manner that each case will be stopped in the proper position thereof within the packing machine for filling while being empty, and for being thereupon carried forwardly by the rollers 42 as soon as it is filled will be more fully described hereinafter by reference to FIGURES 10, 11 and 12.

An impulse control valve 57, which is not shown in FIGURE 1 and which is illustrated in detail in FIGURE 8 and shown again schematically in FIGURE 12 of the drawing, is actuated by an empty case and is released as soon as the case is filled with the required number of bottles as will become more apparent from the detailed description in connection with FIGURES through 12.

It is also understood that the control devices for moving forward the empty and filled cases as Well as the controls for each individual case may be designed and constructed in any suitable appropriate manner known in the prior art, one embodiment thereof being specifically illustrated and described hereinafter by reference to FIG- URES 10 through 12.

As a rule, twenty-four half-bottles are packed in an upright position in each empty case so that there are four parallel rows of bottles with six bottles in each row in each case when filled. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawing, four parallel bottle conveyor tracks 61, 62, 63 and 64 are provided at the packing machine in accordance with the present invention whereby each track supplies bottles to the machine. Actually, in some instances, the bottles may be supplied onto each of these four tracks 61, 62, 63 and 64 from individual bottling and capping apparatus of which a corresponding number would be provided in that case. However, the multiplicity of bottling and capping apparatus is in fact unnecessary, because, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, a single main supply track 65 may be utilized which splits into two branch tracks 66 and 67, and which, in turn, splits again into the four bottle conveyor tracks 61, 62, 63 and 64 so that the same are supplied from a single main track 65 in the construction according to the present invention.

A triple-aimed control rocker member generally designated by reference numeral 69 (FIGURE 2) which is pivotal about a vertical axis or shaft 68 may be provided therefor in front of the main entrance to the first bifurcation leading into branch tracks 66 and 67. The triplearmed control rocker member 69 which is pivotally mounted about the pivot axis 68 thereof is provided with a blocking arm portion 6? extending in a direction away from the pivot shaft 68 opposite the direction of movement of the conveyor system 74 indicated by arrow A. The triple-armed rocker member 69 additionally includes two uniform obliquely shorter control arm portions 70 and 71 which point in the opposite direction from arm portion 69', i.e., in the direction from pivot shaft 68 thereof corresponding to the direction of movement indicated by the arrow A. The main control arm portion 69' thereby operates as switching arm whereas the shorter arm portions 70 and 71 of the triple-armed rocker member 69 act as control members.

As soon as a bottle reaches the branching point where the main conveyor track 65 splits into the two branch tracks 66 and 67, the main control arm 69' will be disposed in such a manner as to block one of the branch tracks, for example, branch track 66 in the position illus trated in FIGURE 2. As a result thereof, the bottle will be moved forwardly into the initial portion of the other branch track 67. However, when this bottle has moved a sufficient distance onto this branch track 67, the bottle will come in contact with the corresponding control arm portion 71 whereby the rocker member 69 is rotated about the pivot 63 thereof in a clockwise direction as seen in FiGURE 2 so that the control arm 6? Will swing over to block the branch track 67 for the next bottle. Consequently, the branch track 67 onto which the bottle has just been conveyed is thereby blocked so that the next bottle in turn will be conveyed onto the first branch track 66. It is quite obvious that this arrangement will convey the bottles in a continuous stream alternately to each of the two branch tracks 66 and 67.

Each of the two branch tracks 66 and 67 terminates in a corresponding bifurcation provided With a distributor device 72 and 73, respectively, which is identical or equivalent to the triple-armed rocker member 6h both as to construction and/or operation so that a continuous stream of bottles derived from a single bottling and capping point over main track 65 will be distributed evenly into the four individual tracks 61, 62, 63 and 64 by the arrangement illustrated in FIGURE 2 with every fourth bottle from the bottling and capping apparatus arriving on the same track. I

The bottle conveyor track includes an endless, moving belt generally designated by reference numeral 74 (FIG- URES 1 and 2) which carries along the upper side thereof guide members 75 and 75' of any suitable construction which branch ofi' into the respective tracks. However, along the last section of the case conveyor track 74, the center guides 75' are preferably of greatly reduced dimension in order to enable the bottles to move as close together into the position relative to each other which they must assume in the case in which they are to be packed.

An impulse control valve 76, 77, 78 and 79 is disposed at the end of each row or track 61, 62, 63 and 64, respectively (FIGURES 1 and 5), against which the first bottle in each row of the conveyor tracks 61, 62, 63 and 64 presses with a predetermined force. The impulse control Vales 76, 77, 78 and 79, which are preferably of identical construction and which will be described more fully hereinafter, are spring loaded in such a manner that it will take a minimum of six bottles in each single row or track 61 through 64 in order to actuate a respective one of these impulse control valves. Preferably, however, a spring stiffness is selected which is somewhat greater, for instance, in such a way that each control valve is actuated only by the presence of eight bottles in a row.

The impulse control valves 76, 77, 78 and 79 will initiate the movement and gripping operation of the bottlegripping-head 163 as soon as all of these impulse control valves are actuated by the correct number of bottles in each of the rows or tracks 61 through 64 as will appear more fully hereinafter in connection with the description of the control system.

Botlle-Grl'pping-Head System At one point in the conveyor system, and more particularly Where the conveyance or transportation of the individual bottles ends within the packing machine, a framework generally designated by reference numeral 109 is provided (FIGURE 1) which includes two horizontal guide rods 161 and 162 at the top thereof for guiding therealong the bottle-gripping-head 103 horizontally back and forth from an initial position I (FIGURE 3) corresponding to one end position of the operating cycle in "7 B which the bottle-gripping-head M53 is disposed directly above an empty case in the waiting position thereof on the case-conveyor-track, waiting thereat to be filled with bottles, into another position II (FIGURE 3) corresponding to another end position in the operating cycle in which the bottle-grippinghead 103 is disposed directly above the first six bottles in each of the four single tracks 61, 62, 63 and 64. The horizontal movement of the bottle-gripping-head Hi3 takes place by means of pistons 104 (FIGURE 5) reciprocating in two parallel-acting, lhorizontally disposed pneumatic cylinders 1% (FIG- URES l and 5). Additionally, the bottle-gripping-head 163 is carried on a piston assembly 1%, 1% (FIGURES l and 6) adapted to move in a vertically disposed pneumatic cylinder N37 which is operative to lower the bottlegripping-head W3 into a lower position thereof cor esponding to the position III (FIGURE 3) from the end position II thereof to thereby enable gripping of the bottles disposed on the tracks 61 through 64, and thereupon lifting the same to the end position corresponding to position IV (FIGURE 3). The bottle-gripping-head 1613 thereupon moves or transports the bottles in a firmly gripped manner from position 1V over to the end position designated by position V (FIGURE 3) by actuation of pistons 105 in cylinders 184. While in the end position V (FIGURE 3), the bottle-gripping-head 103 is lowered again by the piston-cylinder assembly 1 36, 1&6, 197 into another lower position designated by VI (FIGURE 3) whereby the bottles are lowered into the awaiting empty case, and are thereafter emptied into this case, whereupon the bottle-gripping-head 193 returns in the empty condition thereof to the first end position designated by I (FIGURE 3). The foregoing briefly describes the six main or end positions designated by I, II, III, IV, V and VI into which the bottle-gripping-head 133 is moved sequentially during an operating cycle, whereby positions I and V correspond to the first end position and positions II and IV to the second end position of the bottle-gripping-head 103 in the horizontal movement thereof along guide rails 131, whereas the positions III and VI correspond to the lowered positions of the bottle-gripping-head 1%3 into which the bottle-gripping-head 193 is lowered from the end position II and V, respectively, and out of which the bottle-gripping-head 163 is raised again into the respective positions IV and I. The actual control for achieving these various positions will be described more fully hereinafter.

The various positions I through VI appear more clearly in FIGURE 3 of the drawing.

The foregoing also indicates that the movement of the packing member or bottle-gripping-head 163 has its starting point in position I during the operating cycle in which the movement of the bottle-gripping-head 103 is actuated or effected by the impulse control valve 108 (FIGURES 4 and 5) which carries a pivot arm 1 39 (FIGURE 4) adapted to rotate about a pivot pin lit). The outer free end of the pivot arm 139 is actuated by a projection 111 at the bottie-gripping-head ms in such a manner that the pivot arm 169 is pivoted or swung counterclockwise in a direction that will cause valve 198 to be actuated or effected thereby only when the bottle-gripping-head 163 together with the projection 111 thereof moves upwardly from a lowered position; however, as the bottle-grippinghead is lowered the projection 111 actuates the arm 109 in a direction that swings pivot arm 1&9 clockwise, i.e., away from the impulse control device of the valve 108 whereby the impulse control device 108 remains unaffected. A return spring 112 urges the pivot arm 109 back to an intermediate position thereof so as to be ready to be moved to the release position thereof as soon as the projection 111 has been moved downwardly a certain distance. In order to facilitate the circumventing movement of the pivot arm 16), the outer end of the pivot arm 199 is provided or constructed as a coil spring 113.

The impulse control valve 1% (FIGURE 5) is operatively connected over line or conduit 131 with the four impulse control valves 76 through 79 arranged in the four bottle tracks 61 through 6 respectively, which are actuated by the bottles in these tracks, and, more particularly, is connected with the impulse control valves 76 through 79 in such a manner that when and only in case when all five valves 76 through 79 and 198 are actuated, and only in such a case, compressed air will be supplied to the two cylinders 1% which act in parallel to thereby move the bottle-gripping-head 1433 from the starting posi tion I to the position II thereof. The details of operation of how this is achieved will be described more fully hereinafter by reference to a complete description of F1"- URE 5. As the bottle-gripping-head 103 moves from position I into the position II, a slidable rod 115 extending outwardly from the bottle-gripping-head 1&3 in a direction corresponding to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt '74 is adapted to come into contact with a cam face formed by a cam plate 114 (FIGURES 1, 3 and 6) adapted to rotate about a hor zontal pivot pin (FIGURE 3) upwardly from the horizontal position thereof in any suitable manner. If the cam face 114 is in proper place, it will come into contact with the slidable rod 115 and will press the same axially inwardly as the bottle-gripping-head MP3 reaches the position II. This in turn will open a valve generally designated by reference 16 (FIGURE 6) which is operative to permit the escape of air from the lower side or working chamber 167' of he piston M6 reciprocating within the vertical pneumatic cylinder generally designated by reference numeral 1 3?, whereby the bottle-gripping-head M3 is lowered in the direction towards the neck of the bottle into the position III thereof.

The underside of the bottle-gripping-head 103 carries a predetermined number of bottle-gripping cups 117 which correspond to the exact number and ultimate disposition of the bottles in the case to be filled. The details and construction of each bottle-gripping cup 117 will be described more fully hereinafter by reference to FIGURE 9.

The bottle-gripping-head 103 is provided with another axially sliding rod Ill-3 (FIGURES 1 and 3) adapted to cooperate with a relatively stationary cam face 119 (FIG- URES 3 and 6) suitably secured on a relatively stationary part of the packing machine such as the frame thereof and which is so constructed and arranged as to actuate the axially sliding rod 118 when the bottle-gripping-head 1 33 is lowered into the position III there of from the position II thereof. Actuation of the axially sliding rod 113 causes a control slide valve generally designated by reference numeral 126 (FIGURE 6) to admit compressed air to the individual bottle-gripping cups 117 which in the meantime had been lowered so as to assume their respective positions around each bottle-neck whereby each of the cups 117 is operative to grip one bottle. The compressed air is thereby supplied from any suitable source such as a tank or compressed air reservoir fed by a compressor of any appropriate construction over a sup ply or input line 154 (FIGURE 6) which is in communication with the cylinder space of cylinder 124 over a branch line 154'. The cylinder 12%? is operatively connected with the individual cups 117 of the bottle-grippinghead 163 over a line 321, and is also operatively connected over a line portion 321' in series with the line 321 with a cylinder 121 (FIGURE 6) which is, therefore, supplied with compressed air at the same time compressed air is supplied to the bottle-gripping cups 117. The cylinder 121 includes a piston member 122 normally spring,

loaded by a coil spring 121 so that the piston member 122 normally assumes the upper position thereof as viewed in FIGURE 6. The piston member 122 is provided with a piston rod 122 which, in turn, includes a cam portion 123 adapted to cooperate with a roller-type cam follower 12-4 rotatably mounted at the end of sliding rod 124 so as to return the valve generally designated by reference numeral 116 to a position thereof whereby compressed air is again supplied to the lower side or working chamber 197 within the vertically arranged cylinder 167 over line 156.

This is accomplished by the operative engagement of the cam portion 123 suitably mounted or provided at the piston rod 122 which during the downward movement of the piston member and piston rod assembly 122, 122 comes into operative engagement with the cam follower 124 mounted at the end of the piston rod 124 as soon as compressed air is supplied over line 321' and line 321 from the cylinder 12% to the upper space of the cylinder 121 whereby the axially-movable sliding rod 124 is displaced in the axial direction thereof toward the left into the position thereof illustrated in FIGURE 6. As is quite clearly visible from FIGURE 6, the piston rod 124 elfects axial displacement of the slide assembly including piston rod 151 and spool members 151 and 151 within cylinder 116 in a direction opposite to that described hereinabove when the axially displaceab-le sliding rod 115 came into operative engagement with cam plate 114. The details of the opertion in proper sequence will be described more fully hereinafter. It sutlices for the present purposes to mention that the operative engagement of the cam portion 123 with the cam follower 124' applies compressed air from the compressed-air supply line 15 over cylinder 116 and line 156 to the lower side 107 of the vertically disposed cylinder 107 whereby the piston member 1136 together with the piston rod 106 and therewith the bottle-gripping-head 153 is again lifted, however, at that time with the bottles firmly gripped by the individual respective bottle-gripping-cups 117 to which compressed air is now supplied also over line 321, valve 121) and line 154'.

As the bottle-gripping-head 163 is lifted in the manner described hereinabove, the axially sliding rod 115 which previously by engagement with the cam member 114 was operative to place the piston-like spool members 151' and 151" within cylinder 116 into such a position that the bottle-gripping-head 103 had been lowered, again had been moved outwardly in the axial direction thereof by the intervening interaction between cam member 123 and cam follower 124', i.e., in the left direction as viewed in FIGURE 6. Consequently, the axially slidable rod 115 will abut against the underside of the plate or cam member 114 as the bottle-gripping-head 103 is lifted thereby lifting or swinging the cam plate 114 upwardly so as not to move the axially slidable rod 115 into a position which would cause lowering of the bottle-grippinghead 103. In other words, during upward movement of bottle gripping-head 1113, the cam plate 114 will not actuate the sliding rod 115.

An impulse control valve 125 is provided at the right end of the horizontal trajectory or path of the bottlegripping-head 103 as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 5 which is of identical construction as the impulse control valve 193 mentioned hereinabove. FIGURE 1 clearly shows the respective positions of the pivot arms 169 and 125 of the impulse control valves 108 and 125 which are mounted in the horizontal path of the bottle-grippinghead 193, for example, on the horizontal strut 101 disposed below the tubular frame member 191 and interconnecting the downwardly bent leg portions thereof. The impulse control valve 125 which is identical with the valve 108 is operative in such a manner that it will be actuated or affected when the bottle-gripping-head 103 moves from the lowered position III thereof to the upper position IV thereof (FIGURE 3) whereas it remains, in contrast thereto, unaffected when the bottle-grippinghead 103 is moved or displaced horizontally from the initial position I directly above the case conveyor 42 to the position 11 thereof directly above the bottle conveyor 74 and thereupon vertically from position 11 into position III. The impulse control valve 125 is interconnected in the control system in such a marmer that when it is actuated it will provide a supply of compressed air to the horizontal compressed-air cylinders (FIGURES l and 5) in order that the bottle-gripping head 103 will be displaced from its position IV directly above the bottle track 74 into the position V directly above the case track 42. Obviously the bottles now move along with the horizontal movement of the bottle-gripping-head 103 since they are firmly gripped by the bottle-gripping cups 117 which remain supplied with compressed air during this movement. Furthermore, by suitably arranging the actuating lever of the impulse control valve 125 in the path of the bottle-gripping-head 103 it can be so arranged that it will be actuated only during the upward movement of the bottle-gripping-head 103 from the position III thereof when it arrives about in position IV thereof but not during the downward movement thereof.

As the bottle-gripping-head 103 approaches the end of the horizontal trajectory or movement from the position IV into the position V thereof, the axially sliding rod 115 comes into the path of a cam arrangement 129 which is shown on an enlarged scale in a perspective view thereof in FIGURE 7, and which acts on the axially sliding rod 115 in a manner corresponding to the cam plate 114. In other words, as soon as the axially sliding rod 115 comes into engagement with the cam arrangement 129 illustrated in FIGURE 7, the axially sliding rod 115 is pushed axially inwardly in the direction of the cylinder 150, i.e., in the right direction as viewed in FIGURE 6, whereupon the lower cylinder space 107' within cylinder 167 disposed below the cylinder member 166' is placed into communication with the discharge line over line 156 so that the bottle-gripping-head 193 is lowered in the position VI thereof. The cam arrangement 129, however, is so constructed as to actuate rod 115 only if at the same time an empty case is in the proper position on the case conveyor track 42 to receive the bottles firmly gripped by the individual bottle-gripping cups 117. If no empty case is in the proper position on the case conveyor track 42 ready to be filled with the bottles held by the bottlegripping cups 117, the bottle-gripping-head 103 will remain in the position V thereof with the bottles firmly gripped by each of the bottle-gripping cups 117 until an empty case actually arrives in position on the case conveyor track 42. The axially sliding rod 115 will then be actuated by the cam arrangement 129 illustrated in FIG- URE 7, as will appear more fully hereinafter, as soon as the empty case arrives in the proper position thereof whereupon the bottle-gripping-head 103 is lowered into position VI thereof.

This sequence of operation is achieved by the aforementioned impulse control valve 57 (FIGURES 8 and 12) which is operative to effectively supply compressed air from the compressed air input or supply line 356 (FIGURE 8) over the control slide valve generally designated by reference numeral 126 to the compressed air cylinder 127 (FIGURES 7 and 8) which is operatively connected with the control slide valve 126 by a line 357. A piston member 128' adapted to reciprocate within the cylinder 127 is mounted on a piston rod 123 which in turn is operative to move a vertically movable cam plate 129 inwardly and outwardly into the path of the axially sliding rod 115 in a horizontal direction. The cam plate 129, as mentioned hereinabove, in that case actuates the axially sliding rod 115 (FIGURES 6 and 7) by axially displacing the same inwardly in the direction toward the cylinder 15%) thereof if the axially sliding rod 115 has already arrived in a position in front of the cam face of cam plate 129. If however, the axially sliding rod 115 has not yet arrived in front of the cam face of cam plate 129, the outer end of the axially sliding rod 115 will be pushed or axially moved inwardly by the cam face of the plate 129 as soon as the bottle-gripping-head 103 arrives in that position. For the same reason that cam plate 114 is suspended or mounted so as to be capable of sliding or pivoting upwardly and downwardly, as

mentioned hereinabove, the cam plate 129 is also mounted in such way as to be capable of sliding vertically upwardly on the end or" the piston rod 128 by the use of a vertical support pin 130 secured to plate 129 which is slidably fitted into or received in a guide bore provided in bracket plate 131 which in turn is suitably secured to the end of the piston rod 128. Simultaneously therewith, an extra safeguard in the form of a rotating plate 132 is provided which is held by gravity in a rotary position thereof in which it abuts against the underside of the cam plate 129 but which is adapted to be pivoted downwardly by the end of the axially sliding rod 115 when the latter is pushed down. As soon as the axially sliding rod 115 has passed the rotary blocking plate 132, the latter will tilt back to its normal position under gravity abutting against the underside of the cam plate 129 regardless of whether the cam plate 129 has or has not been axially moved outwardly by the piston member 128' disposed within cylinder 127 (FIGURE 7). This arrangement is to prevent the forward movement of an empty case which would cause cam plate 129 to be pressed outwardly by the supply of compressed air in the cylinder 127 exactly at the moment when the bottlegripping-head 103 is lifted into the upper position I thereof.

As mentioned hereinabove, an axially inward displacement of the axially sliding rod 115, i.e., a movement thereof toward the right as viewed in FIGURE 6, causes the bottle-gripping-head 103 with the bottles suspended therein to be lowered since the control valve 116 is thereby actuated to cause a discharge of the compressed air within cylinder 1137 below the piston member 1% through the line 156 and discharge line 155. When the bottoms of the bottles are in proper position directly above the bottom of the case disposed therebelow, a cam face 133 (FIGURE 3) will come into operative engagement with a rod 134 (FIGURES 3 and 6) which is secured to the opposite end of the valve sliding assembly 3241, 325) and 326" which itself is operative to control the supply of compressed air to the bottle-gripping-cups 117 over line 321 as mentioned hereinabove. As a result of the actuation of the axially sliding rod 134 by engagement with the cam 133, the wially sliding rod 134 is moved in the axially inward direction toward the cylinder 12%, i.e., toward the right as viewed in FIGURE 3 and in the upward direction as viewed in FIGURE 6, whereupon the control slide valve assembly 325, 321), 320" is moved into a position in which the air is released from the bottle-gripping cups 117 over line 321 and discharge line 322. Consequently, the bottles are released as soon as the pressure is removed from the bottle-gripping cups 117 and the bottles are permitted to drop just a short distance which is insuflicient to damage the bottles but which, at the same time, is sufficient for the bottle necks to clear the bottle-gripping cups 117 when the filled case now moves forwardly on the case conveyor track 42 as will be described more fully hereinafter. Springs (not illustrated) may also be used in any suitable manner to contribute to the absorption of any shocks or bumps to which the bottles may be subjected when they are being let down into the empty case as soon as the cups 117 release the bottie necks.

At the same time as the air is permitted to escape from the bottle-gripping cups 117 over line 321 and discharge line 322, air is also permitted to escape from the upper cylinder chamber of cylinder 121 whereupon the piston 122' and piston rod 122 including the cam portion 123 thereof will be moved back :in the upward direction within cylinder 121 by the coil spring 121 whereby the cam follower 124 and therewith the axially sliding rod 124 and the slide valve assembly 151, 151, 151" is moved am'ally toward the left as viewed in FIGURE 6 so that compressed air from supply line 154 is again permitted to reach the lower cylinder chamber 197 in cylinder 167 over line 156 whereby the bottle-gripping-head 103 12 is again raised or lifted. The bottle-gripping-head 1123 thereby returns to the first position I thereof which is the initial position of the cycle of operation. The cycle of operation will then repeat itself.

Pneumatic Control System for B0ttle-Gripping-Head Assembly It has been mentioned by way of introduction, and it has also been referred to hereinabove in this description that the packing machine in accordance with the present invention is pneumatically operated, i.e., is operated by the aid of cylinders and reciprocating pistons, the piston rods of which move or displace the respective parts of the packing machine to and fro as the case may be. In general, the cylinders used in connection with the pneumatic control system of the present invention are supplied with compressed air over control slide valves which may be either cam or impulse actuated.

Referring now to FIGURE 6 which illustrates the two cam-actuated valves generally designated by reference numerals 116 and 12% of the system in accordance with the present invention, and more particularly the control slide valve 116 operative to control lifting and lowering the bottie-gripping-head 193, and the control slide valve 121 operative to selectively supply or discharge compressed air from the gripping cups 117, each valve, includes a sliding member provided with two spools or piston members. The control slide valve 116 includes a piston rod or slide member 151 provided with two spools or piston members 151' and 151" whereas the control slide valve includes a sliding member or piston rod 329 provided with two spools 320 and 324i" rigidly mounted thereon. The control slide assembly 151, 151, 151" carries at each end thereof an outwardly extending rod 115 and 124 which are actuated by cams 114 and 129 and by cam 123, respectively. The cylinder casing of valve 116 is provided with an inlet aperture or port essentially in the center thereof in which terminates the supply line 154 for supplying compressed air. A discharge line is provided near one end of the casing 159. Intermediate the point of connection of the discharge line 155 and of the supply line 154, a connecting line 156 terminates in the casing 151) which line 156 leads to the lower working chamber 107' of cylinder 197 to be controlled thereby. The connecting line 156 is thereby so arranged and located in the casing 150 of the control slide valve 116 that when the slide assembly 151, 151', 151" is moved to one end position thereof within the casing. 150, for instance, when being forced toward the left by the abutment of cam portion 123 against the cam follower 124' on the sliding rod 124, the compressed air supply line 154 is placed into communication with the connecting line 156 leading to the respective cylinder chamber 1137'. As soon as the slide assem bly 151, 151, 151", 124 and 115 is pressed or displaced in the opposite direction, for example by engagement of the rod 115 with the cam member 114, i.e., into the right end position thereof within casing 150, the air connecting line 156 is efiectively brought into communication with the discharge line 155 which discharges, for example, into the open air whereby the pressure medium in the cylinder 167, and more particularly in the lower cylinder section 107 is permitted to escape. Any suitable throttling device which may be adjustable may be inserted thereby into discharge line 155 or possibly also into connecting line 156 to control the rate of descent of the bottle gripping head 1113. The compressed-air supply line 154, under these operating conditions, with the slide assembly 151, 151', 151" in the right end position thereof, is etfectively connected only with a closed chamber formed between the two spools 151' and 151". Since the two spools 151 and 151" are of the same size, the compressed air will exert no displacing force on the slide assembly 151, 151', 151 which will, therefore, remain in this position until it is again displaced by engage- 13 ment of a respective cam portion with the corresponding actuating or sliding rod.

The operation of the control slide valve 121 is similar to that of control slide valve member 116. The slide assembly includes a sliding rod 320 and two spools 32d and 326" to which are secured the sliding rods 118 and 134. The casing 120' is provided essentially in the center thereof with suitable means providing a connection with the compressed-air branch line 154' which thereby supplies compressed air from the reservoir or compressor over line 154 and 154' to the cylinder casing 1213'. Near one end of the casing 120', i.e., near the lower end thereof as seen in FIGURE 6 and physically near the end which is valved by the spool 320", a discharge 322 is provided which leads into the atmosphere. Intermediate the point of connection of the supply line 154 and of the discharge line 322 a connecting line 321 termi nates within casing 12%) which leads to the individual bottle-gripping-cups 117 and which is so arranged and located within the casing 120', that in one end position, for example, in the end position of the slide assembly 320, 321], 32%" illustrated in FIGURE 6 which is the upper end position thereof and which is caused by the abutment of the rod 134 with the cam face of cam memher 133 moving the slide assembly 321), 329', 329" axially upwardly as viewed in FIGURE 6, the connecting line 321 is efiectively placed into communication with the discharge line 322 whereupon the bottle-gripping-cups 117 are without compressed air, and, therefore, are unable to grip the necks of any bottles. As soon as the actuating rod 118 of the slide assembly 320, 32h, 32? comes into abutment with the cam face of cam member 119 thereby displacing the slide assembly 321 329 and 32%" in the opposite direction, i.e., in the downward direction as viewed in FIGURE 6, the supply line 154- supplying compressed air is placed into communication with the connecting line 321 whereby the bottle-grippingcups 117 are supplied with compressed air and are operative to grip the bottle necks.

Since both spools 320 and 32%" are of the same size, the slide assembly 320, 320', 320", 134 and 113 will not change its position from that it assumes when pushed upwardly, as viewed in FIGURE 6 into the position illustrated therein, since the supply line 154 effectively supplies compressed air into a closed chamber formed between the two spools 324) and 320".

In addition to the pneumatic control system illustrated in FIGURE 6, the packing machine in accordance with the present invention includes a further pneumatic control system including a different type of control slide valve assembly, illustrated in FIGURE and which will be described now in greater detail. The slide valve assembly generally designated by reference numeral 15% in FIGURE 5 includes a casing or housing 159' provided with a central bore 161 in which is slidingly disposed a slide assembly generally designated by reference numeral 161 and provided with four spools 162, 163, 164 and 165. An enlarged chamber 166 and 157 each accommodating therein a reciprocating piston 153 and 159 is in communication at each end with the central bore 164 Each piston 168 and 169 is provided with a sternlike piston rod 179 and 171, respectively, which is of such diameter as to be axially slidable within corresponding bores provided in the end portions of the slide assembly 161.

The two outermost spools 162 and 155 of the slide assembly 161 merely serve to govern or control the same since they are provided with small bores establishing a communication between a respective chamber and the space between two adjoining spools 1-52 and 163 and two adjoining spools 164 and 165, respectively.

Equidistant from the ends of central bore 169 is provided a supply port 172 for supplying compressed air to the casing 159' while a first compressed air connecting port 173 and a first air discharge port 174 are provided in the left portion of casing 159 intermediate the left end of the bore and the port 172. A second compressed-aid connecting port 175 and a second air discharge port 176 are provided between the centrally disposed compressed air inlet port 172 and the right end of the central bore 161). The two compressed-air connecting ports 173 and 175 are located within the casing 159 in such position that when the slide assembly 161 is in one end position thereof, for instance, in the left end position as viewed in FIGURE 5, a communication is established between the supply inlet port 172 and the first connecting port 173 through the space between the two spools 163 and 164 while the second connecting port 175 is placed into communication with the second air discharge port 176. After the slide assembly 151 is moved to the opposite end position thereof, the space between the spools 163 and 164 now establish a communication between the supply port 172 and the second connecting port 175 while the first connecting port 173 is placed into communication with the first outlet or discharge port 174.

Two narrow passages 177 and 178 branch oif from the supply or inlet port 172 of which only one will be described more fully since the other is of identical construction and operation. More particularly, the passage 177 splits into a first branch or passage 17? extending toward the right as viewed in FIGURE 5 and terminating in the left end of the end chamber 166 whereas the other branch passage 18% extends toward the left of FIGURE 5 and connects with a line or conduit 181 suitably connected thereto. Line 181 is operatively connected with the line or conduit 181' which itself has a plurality of branch lines leading to the respective impulse control valves 76, 77, 78, 79 and 1418.

As will become more obvious from an inspection of FEGURE 8, each impulse control valve 79, 73, 77, 76 and 1118 which is of identical construction with impulse control valve 57, therefore comprises a casing 182 with a reciprocating piston member 133 therein which is normally urged against one end, namely the right end as viewed in FIGURE 8 of the casing 182 by the spring 184. An air or connecting port 185, for example, in the form of an inlet bore or the like, is provided in the opposite end of the casing 1%2 which is adapted to be closed by a stern portion 185 suitably secured to the piston 133 when the piston is pressed inwardly, i.e., toward the left as viewed in FEGURE 8 against the force of spring 184 by the outwardly extending actuating pin portion 157, as will be described more fully hereinafter. However, ordinarily, when the piston assembly 183, 186, 187 is in the normal position thereof, as shown in FIGURE 8, air is permitted to escape through a discharge opening or port 182 suitably provided in casing 182.

Each individual control impulse valve 76, 77, 78, 79 and 168 is constructed in this manner, and each row of bottles thereby push or press against a respective actuating pin portion 137 extending outwardly of the respective housing or casing 152 against the force exerted by a respective spring 184-. It is the extent and magnitude of the force exerted against the spring force of spring 134 which ultimately determines whether the respective impulse control valve is closed or remains open.

It is quite obvious from FIGURE 5 that if a number of such impulse control valves 7679 and 168 each including the elements 182, 183, 13 185, 186, 187 and 182' are operatively connected in parallel with an air line corresponding to line 131', compressed air which normally flows through the passage 177 of the control slide valve 159 will escape into the atmosphere through any one or all of discharge ports 182' of these impulse control valves 76-79 and 1138 until each and every one of these impulse control valves which are operatively connected with the line 1 1' are closed by a sufiiciently high pressure against the respective actuating pin portions 187. In connection with the impulse control valve 76, 77, 78 and 79 this will occur, for instance, when at least eight bottles in each row of the four tracks 61, 62;, 63 and 64 of the bottle conveyor track 74 (FIGURE 1) rest against the respective actuating pin portion 187 thereof. A fifth impulse control valve 168 is also operatively connected with the line 181 and thereby is also operatively connected in parallel with the other parallelly connected impulse valves 76 through 79 which in effect requires closure of all of the impulse control valves 76 through 79 and 1113 in order to prevent the escape of air flowing from inlet 172 through passage 177, branch passage 1819, line 181 and line 181 into the atmosphere. In other words, as long as a single one of these impulse control valves 76 through 79 and 1&8 is open or unaffected, the pressure in lines 131, 131' will be essentially atmospheric pressure. As soon as all the impulse control valves 76 through 79 and 103 are closed, immediately thereafter, and only in that event, the pressure in line 131, 181 will rise rapidly above atmospheric pressure to a predetermined overpressure.

As mentioned hereinabove, the passage 17? in the right portion of the casing 159 is identical with passage 177 with the modification that the line 139 connected with the outwardly exten ing branch passage 173 itself is only connected with a single impulse control valve, namely with the impulse control valve 125. The inwardly extending branch passage 17$" again leads toward the right end of the enlarged end chamber 167.

A connecting line 190 operatively connects the right end of each cylinder 195 of the two parallelly acting horizontal cylinders 165 with the first connecting port 173. The second connecting port 175, that is the one disposed to the right of the intake 172 is operatively connected with the left end of each of these horizontal cylinders 1115 over lines 191 and 191'.

Operation of the Pneumatic Control System for Bottle- Gripping-Head The operation of the pneumatic control system for the bottle-gripping-head 1113 in accordance with the present invention is as follows:

If either of the two lines or conduits 181, 1%1' or 189 (FIGURE are effectively closed by the respective impulse control valves 76 through 79, 1138 and 125 connected thereto, this will cause an increase in pressure over and above atmospheric pressure in the corresponding end chamber 166 or 167 provided within control slide valve 159 and operatively connected therewith. An increase in the pressure in either end chamber 166 or 167 will cause the slide assembly 161, 162, 163, 164, 165 to be displaced to one or the other side of the central bore 160 provided in valve casing 159' so that the connecting port 175 or 173 which is disposed opposite to the side supplied with increased pressure will be operati ely placed into communication with the compressed-air inlet port 172 (FIGURE 5).

In the position of the slide valve assembly 161, 162,, 163, 164, 165 of control slide valve generally designated by reference numeral 159 illustrated in FIGURE 5, it is assumed that all the impulse control valves 76 through 79 as Well as the impulse control valve 1118 are closed. As a result thereof, compressed air is supplied over the inlet port 172 to the connecting port 1 75 which in turn will supply compressed air to the left side of the horizontal cylinders 165' through connecting lines 191 and 191. This in turn will cause the piston members 164 and there-with the bottle-gripping-head 3 supported thereon to move toward the right along guide rails 1 .91 and 102, from the position I to the position 11 thereof (FIGURE 3).

Under these operating conditions, impulse control valve 125, which is such as to be actuated only under certain operating conditions, namely as the bottle-gripping-head 1113 is lifted from position 'III to position IV thereof will not be actuated or affected as the bottle-grippinghead 11% moves from the position I into the position 11 shown in FIGURE 5. Consequently, as the bottle-gripping-head arrives in the second upper end position II thereof, the control devices described hereinabove for moving the bottle-gripping-head in the downward direction and thereupon in the upward direction will take over the control to move or displace the bottle-grippinghead from the position II into the position III and thereupon back into the position IV thereof, and it is only during this upward return movement of the bottle-gripping-head 1113 from the position III into the position IV that the impulse control valve is affected or actuated.

It is also clear from FIGURE 5 that as soon as the bottle-gripping-head 103 begins to move away from its position I, as compressed air is supplied from inlet port 172 through connecting port and connecting lines 191 and 191 to the left Working chambers of horizontal cylinders 1135, the impulse control valve 1% is again reopened under the force of the respective spring 134 thereof disposed in the casing 132 thereof. As a result thereof, the pressure in the line system 181, 181 and therewith in the end chamber 166 drops back to atmospheric pressure. However, the opening of valve 103 and the consequent pressure drop in lines 181 and 181' as well as in chamber 166 will have no effect on the position of the slide assembly 161, namely for two reasons:

(a) First and foremost, pistons 168 and 169 are nonpositively or loosely connected with the stems 170 and 1'71 thereof within the slide assembly 161 so that the return stroke of either piston 16% or 16 does not necessarily move back the slide assembly 161; and

(11) Additionally, the friction between the slide assembly 161 and the central bore 16% within which the former is accommodated requires a positive predetermined over pressure acting on the piston of the opposite end in order to return the slide assembly 161 to the other end position thereof from the one in which it presently finds itself.

Such a positive over pressure can be obtained only when the operating conditions are such that the impulse control valves which control the respective end chamber 166 and 167 over lines 131 and 189 are closed. This means that the control slide valve 15% including the slide assembly 161 and piston assemblies 16%, 176 and 169, 171, respectively, will be moved from the right end position thereof in which it is shown in FIGURE 5 into the left end position thereof only when the impulse control valve 125 is closed, i.e., as the bottle-grippinghead 103 arrives or approaches the end position IV thereof during the upward movement from the position III thereof. Under these circumstances, the pressure in the passage 17%, branch passages 178, 178" and line 189 is permitted to build up to a predetermined over-pressure which acts on the right face of piston 169 so that the slide assembly 161 will be moved in the opposite direction into the left end position thereof as viewed in FIGURE 5, whereupon compressed air is supplied from the inlet port 172 through the connecting port 173 into the line thereby applying compressed air to the right face of the pistons 164. This in turn will move the pistons 104 toward the left as viewed in FIGURE 5 and will also move the bottle-gripping-head 103 from the position IV into the position V thereof.

As is quite obvious from the foregoing description of the control slide valve 159, the latter is double-acting, which means in practice that five impulse control valves 76 through 79* and 103 connected in parallel are operatively connected with one side thereof whereas a single impulse control valve 125 is operatively connected with the other side thereof. In case the impulse control valve 125 is omitted and also passage 17% as well as branch passages 17 8' and 178 together with line 189 are omitted,

. and a spring is substituted for the piston 169 which will spring-load the slide assembly 161 so as to normally move toward the left, the slide assembly 161 would thereby become single-acting, which means in practice that only one of the movements thereof would be controlled by impulse control valves. The same can also be accom plished, instead of omitting passages 178, 178 and 178" and piston 169 and substituting therefor a return spring, by providing the piston 168 with a larger effective crosssectional area than the piston 169. Under these circumstances, it would be sufi'icient to effectively close the line 189. In that case, i.e., when the piston 168 is made larger than the piston 169, the control slide valve arrangement is such that with a double-acting slide valve assembly, the side with the larger piston area will normally dominate in case the impulse control valves of both sides, i.e., the impulse control valves 76 through 79 and 168 as well as the impulse control valve 125 and/or any other number of impulse control valves which may be operatively connected in parallel with lines 181 and 189 are simultaneously closed. Such an arrangement is conceivably desirable in many cases. In connection with the present case, the simultaneous control influence which would effectively close the impulse control valves of both sides could not happen, however, it is evident that in this case the same efiect would be obtained regardless of which of the two pistons 168 and 169 is made larger.

Furthermore, it is also understood that the control slide valve assembly 159 described hereinabove may be varied or modified within the spirit and scope of the present invention, for example, by connecting additional apparatus to be controlled with the ports 174 and 176 which, in that case, would have to be operated at a some what lower pressure than the main apparatus.

In summary, the impulse control valves 76 through 79 and 1(18 are closed by the application of a predetermined force to the respective actuating pin portions 187 thereof, the pressure in the line system 181, 181, normally supplied from the inlet port 172 over passage 177 and branch passage 180, is permitted to build up to a pressure above atmospheric pressure whereby the overpressure will also exist within chamber 166 by reason of the existence of the branch passage 179. This will apply an over pressure to the left face of the piston 168 thereby moving the slide assembly 161 toward the right end position thereof. As a result thereof, as soon as the slide assembly 161, 162, 1163, 164, 165 arrive in the right end position thereof as shown in FIGURE 5, the inlet port 172 is eifectively placed into communication with the connecting port 175 thereby supplying compressed air over lines 191 and 191' to the left working chamber of horizontally disposed cylinders 105. As a result thereof, the pistons 16-4 slidably accommodated within cylinders 105 are actuated and displaced toward the right as viewed in FIGURE 5 so that the bottle-gripping-head 103 is moved from the position I thereof into the position II thereof.

As the bottle-gripping-head 103 arrives in the position II thereof, the impulse control valve 125 is not afiected or actuated thereby, as explained hereinabove, except as the bottle-gripping-head 103 reaches the position IV from the position II-I thereof. Consequently, as the botie-gripping-head 1163 arrives at the position II thereof in which the bottle-gripping-head 193 is in the upper position above the bottle conveyor track 74, the control slide valves 116 and 1211 will take over the control function as described hereinabove.

More particularly, as the bottle-gripping-head 1433 arrives in the position II thereof, the sliding rod 115 comes into abutment with the cam plate 114 so that the slide assembly 151, 151, 151", 115 and 125 is moved into the other end position thereof, i.e., toward the right into the right end position thereof as viewed in FIGURE 6, whereupon the lower working chamber 167' of the cylinder 107 which controls the vertical movement of the bottle-gripping-head 10 3 is placed into communication with the atmosphere over connecting line 156 and discharge line 155. This will enable the bottle-gripping-head 103 to be lowered into the position III thereof since the cylinder 1% from 'which the bottle-gripping-head is suspended by piston rod 106 is permitted to move downwardly as the compressed air is permitted to escape from the working cylinder 107'.

As soon as the bottle-gripping-head 103 arrives in the position III thereof, the sliding rod 118 of the valve assembly 329, 320', 329", 118 and 134 comes into engagement with the cam plate 119, thereby displacing the slide assembly 320, 320', 320", 118 and 134 in the direction thereof corresponding in FIGURE 6 to a downward movement of the slide assembly 320, 320', 321i", 118 and 134.

As soon as the last-mentioned slide assembly 320, 320', 320", 118 and 134 arrives in the opposite end position thereof, i.e., the end position opposite that shown in FIG- URE 6, compressed air is supplied to the individual bottlegripping-cups 117 from the supply line 154 over branch line 154 and connecting line 321. At the same time, compressed air is also supplied from connecting line 321 over series connecting line portion 321 to the upper working chamber of the cylinder 121 thereby acting against the upper face of piston 122' which is thereby displaced downwardly, as viewed in FIGURE 6, against the force exerted thereagainst by the coil spring 121. As the piston assembly 122, 122' moves downwardly, the cam portion 123 provided at the piston rod 122 comes into engagement with the cam follower 124 rotatably supported on the sliding rod 124 whereby the slide assembly 151, 151', 151", 124 and '115 is displaced again into the opposite end position thereof, i.e., into the left end position thereof corresponding to the position illustrated in FIG- URE 6, whereby compressed air is permitted to reach from the supply line 154 over connecting line 156 the lower working chamber 167' of the cylinder 167. As a result thereof, the piston 106' and piston rod 166 together with the bottle-gripping-head 1113 is again raised from the position III into the position IV thereof, taking along the bottles which have been firmly gripped around their bottle necks by the bottle-gnipping-cups 117.

As pointed out hereinabove, the cam member 114 is unaffected, i.e., is not actuated as the bottle-gripping-head 103 moves into the position IV thereof so that the slide valve assembly 151, 151, 151 remains in the left end position as shown in FIGURE 6 and compressed air continues to be supplied to the lower working chamber 107' whereby the piston assembly 11 6, 166 and therewith the bottle-gripping-head 103 will remain in the uppermost position thereof.

As also pointed out hereinabove, as soon as the bottlegripping'head 1% left its end position I, the impulse control valve 1413 opened. However, opening of this impulse control valve 163 accompanied by the pressure drop in the line 181 and in the end chamber 166 did not have any effect on the position of the slide assembly 161, 162, 163, 164, 165 since the pistons 168 and 169 with the stems 179 and 171 thereof were non-positively connected with the slide assembly 161 and since the friction between the slide assembly and more particularly between the circumferential surfaces of the spools 162-, 163-, 164, 165 thereof and the internal surface of the central bore 1611 require a positive, predetermined over-pressure against the end of the piston on the opposite side, i.e., against the piston 169 in order to move the slide assembly 161 back to the left end position, as viewed in FIGURE 5.

Such positive overpressure is obtained as the bottlegripping-head 163 with the bottles suspended therefrom by the gripping action of the bottle-gripping cups 117 is conveyed upwardly from the position 111 into the position IV thereof as indicated hereinabove. This is so since the impulse control valve will be closed as soon as the bottleipping-head 163 arrives in the position IV thereof, whereupon pressure is permitted to build up in the passage 178, branch passages 178" and 17$"and line 189 and therewith in the right end portion of the end chamber 167, i.e., in the part of the end chamber 167 which will exert pressure against the right end face of the piston 169. As soon as suficient pressure exists in the line system 189, 178, 178, 178", the piston 169 pushes the slide assembly 161 to the left end position thereof, whereby compressed air is supplied from the inlet port 172 over the connecting port 173 and the connecting line 190 to the right end of the cylinders 1115 which in turn will produce a force on the right faces of pistons 1 1 moving the same together with the bottle-gripping-head 1613 toward the left from the position IV into the position V.

As explained hereinabove, as the bottlegrippinghead 103 moves from position IV to the position V thereof and as it arrives at the latter position, the impulse control valve 168 does not close, i.e., remains unaffected so that the other control devices are permitted to take over the control of the bottle-gripping-head 1193, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

The control effecting the downward movement of the bottle-gripping-head 1413 from the position V thereof into the position VI thereof, the subsequent release of the bottles gripped by the bottle-gripping cups 117 and the return of the bottle-gzipping-head 103 from the position VI into the position I thereof now takes place as follows:

As the bottle-gripping head 103 arrives in the position V thereof, the sliding rod 115 of the slide assembly 151, 151', 151" comes into contact with the cam face 129 provided the impulse control valve 57 (FIGURES 8 and 12) is closed by the presence of an empty case on the case conveyor track -42 in position to receive the bottles suspended from the bottle-gripping head 1%3. If this is the case, i.e., if the impulse control valve 57 is closed, pressure is permitted to build up with-in the slide control valve 126, and more particularly within the line system 358 and branch passage 359 branching off the inlet port 365 provided within the valve casing 126' to raise the piston 369 as shown in FIGURE 8 and therewith the slide assembly 351 provided with two spools 362 and 363 which valve the inlet port 356, the connecting port 364 and the discharge port 366. In the position illustrated in FIGURE 8, i.e., when the impulse control valve 57 remains open by the absence of an empty case in position below the bottle-gripping-head on the bottle conveyor track 42, the connecting line 357 connecting the cylinder 127 with the connecting port 364- is placed into communication with the discharge port 366 over a connecting passage 363 provided in the spool 363. A coil spring 367 which effectively renders the control slide valve 126, a single-actiing valve normally urges the various parts thereof into the position illustrated in FIGURE 8. Since compressed air through supply line 356 and inlet port 365 effectively operates against a closed chamber in which the equal areas of spools 362 and 363 are exposed at both ends thereof, the compressed air at the inlet port 365 is ineflective to move the slide assembly 361.

However, as the pressure is permitted to build up in line 358 upon closure of the bore 185 in the impulse control valve 57, the slide assembly 361 is raised by the upward movement of the piston 36% thereby elfectively disconnecting the connecting line 357 from the discharge line 366 while placing the supply line 356 into communication with the connecting line 357 so that compressed air is supplied to the cylinder 127 whereupon the cam plate 129 is effectively moved into the path of the rod 115.

As the rod 115 comes into abutment with the cam plate 129, the slide assembly 151, 151', 151" is again moved toward the right as viewed in FIGURE 6 whereupon the compressed air prevailing in the lower working chamber 107' of the cylinder 1117 is again permitted to escape through line 156 and discharge line 155 in the manner mentioned hereinabove.

If the bottle-gripping head 1'93 arrives in the position V thereof without an empty case in position on the case conveyor track 42 below the bottle-gripping-head 103, nothing will happen until such case arrives and initiates the control cycle in connection with the impulse control valve 57, control slide valve 126, cylinder 127 and piston assembly 128, 128' in order to move the cam plate 129 into abutment with the rod in the manner described hereinabove to effect lowering of the bottle-grippinghead 103.

As the bottle-gripping-head 133 arrives in the position VI, the sliding rod 134 thereof comes into abutment with the cam plate 133 so that the sliding rod 134 is moved in the direction corresponding to the movement of the bottlegripping-head 1193 from the position I into the position II thereof which corresponds to an upward movement of the slide valve assembly 329, 320, 321)", 118 and 134 as shown in FIGURE 6. As soon as this upward movement of the slide valve assembly 321), 32%, 320" of FIG- URE 6 is completed, the supply of compressed air over lines 154 and 154' is disconnected again from the connecting line 321 and therewith from the bottle-gripping cups 117 and from the series connecting line portion 321 and the cylinder 121. As a result thereof, the bottlegripping cups 117 release their hold on the bottle necks which are thereupon dropped a small distance into the awaiting empty case. At the same time, the piston assembly 122, 122 moves upwardly under the force exerted thereon by spring 121' so that the cam portion 123 again comes into abutment with the cam follower 124' after a short lapse of time and thereby moves the sliding rod 124 of the slide assembly 151, 151' and 151" of the control slide valve 116 toward the left so that compressed air is again supplied from supply line 154 over connecting line 156 to the lower working chamber 107 of the cylinder 1117 which causes the piston assembly 106, 1136 and therewith the bottle-gripping-head 183 to move upwardly into the initial position I in which the cycle of operation starts all over again.

As soon as the bottle-gripping-head 103 arrives in the position I thereof, the impulse control valve 1% is closed as described hereinabove. However, closure of the impulse control valve 108 in itself is insufficient to initiate the next cycle of operation unless impulse control valves 76 through 79 are also closed, i.e., unless there is a suflicient number of bottles in each of the four rows 61 through 6 1- of the bottle conveyor track 74 which actuates the impulse control valves 76 through 79.

As soon as this is the case, the pressure in the line 181 and 181' is permitted to build up as described hereinabove, whereupon the bottle-gripping-head 1113 is conveyed or displaced from the position I into the position II thereof, as described hereinabove. This initiates the next cycle of operation.

While the control slide valve arrangement illustrated in FIGURES 5, 6 and 8 of the present application is used for controlling the movement and operation of the bottlegripping-head 103 and of the bottle-gripping cups 117, it is understood that the use thereof is not limited to this specific application which is only given as an example, but that the control system may be used in connection with any other installation in which a movement in the cycle of operation is to be initiated only when a number of predetermined conditions are complied with.

Bottle-Gripping Cup The detail of one of the bottle-gripping cups 117 is shown in FIGURE 9. As mentioned hereinabove, each bottle-gripping cup 117 is secured in the bottle-grippinghead 1113 in a position which corresponds to the desired positions of the bottles in the case. For that purpose, the bottle-gripping-head 193 is provided with a plate 200 which forms the underside thereof. The plate 2% is provided with a main duct 201 operatively connected with the lines 321 and 321 while a branch duct 292 leads from the main duct 2131 downwardly to each bottle-gripping cup 117.

Each bottle-gripping cup 117 is formed by an inverted 21 cup-like part 203 which is provided at the top thereof with a threaded tap 264 for engagement into a female threaded portion 265 machined into the underside of the bottlegn'pping-head-plate 280. A gasket 206 used for sealing purposes is placed along the upper edge of the cup-like part 203 into an appropriate recess provided thereat. The compressed air supplied to each bottle-gripping cup 117 over the branch duct 292 in the plate 200 is supplied within the cup-like part 203 to the elastic gripping member 310 over a duct 207 and branch ducts 208 and 209 into the space formed between the inner surface of the cup-like part 293 and the outer surface of the elastic cupshaped gripping member 310. The gripping member 310 is fitted into the inside of the cup-like part 203 and is so designed as to readily fit around the bottle neck of a bottle in such a way that upon supply of compressed air over branch ducts 208 and 209, the gripping member 310 securely grips the bottle neck of a bottle. In order to secure the bottle-gripping member in a readily interchangeable manner within the cup-like part 2113, a threaded bushing 311 is provided which is threadably secured in the lower threaded portion of the cup-like part.

The construction of the bottle-gripping cup 117 in accordance with the present invention makes possible a ready replacement of one type of gripping cup 117 with another, for example, if the packing machine in accordance with the present invention is to be used for bottles having different types of bottle necks. Additionally, the present construction of the bottle-gripping cups also enables ready and relatively inexpensive replacement of any cup 117 that may develop a leak in a pneumatic system. It is quite obvious that otherwise, if a cup develops a leak, the piston 122 in the cylinder 121 which is operative by means of the cam portion 123 on the piston rod 122 to return the control slide valve 116 to the lifting position thereof cannot be actuated since the cylinder 121 is operatively connected in parallel with each of the gripping cups 117.

If for one reason or another it becomes desirable to control or sense the presence of a bottle neck, rather than providing a control system normally used at the outlet of the capping or labeling machines, where bottles with broken necks are otherwise sorted out, the present system may be so modified and arranged as to normally force the bottle-gripping members 310 out of the seat thereof so as to intentionally cause a leak if no bottle neck is present when the pressure is supplied over line 321 and duct 201 to the individual bottle-gripping cups 117. In either of the two aforementioned cases, the cylinder 121 cannot be actuated because no pressure can develop in the line 321' connected in series with the line 321 as long as one bottle-gripping cup 117 develops a leak so that the bottlegripping head 103 would remain in the position HI there of under these circumstances.

The foregoing clearly indicates that the control system of the packing machine in accordance with the present invention offers a number of simple means for the prevention of faulty operation as the bottle-gripping-head 103 which is operative to grip the bottles and transport the same from the bottle conveyor track 74 to an empty case located in a predetermined position on the case conveyor track 42, goes through an operating cycle which may be divided into two separate periods:

(A) The first period controls the movement from an initial position directly above the empty case conveyor track 42 corresponding to position I over to a position directly above the bottle conveyor track 74, corresponding to the position 11, thereupon lowering the bottle-grippinghead 163 to grip the bottles in the position 1H thereof, gripping the bottles and lifting the bottle-gripping-head 193 with the gripped bottles to the upper position thereof corresponding to the position IV and transporting the same or displacing the same back to the position directly above the empty case conveyor track 42 corresponding to the position V.

(B) Then follows the second period, which includes the steps of lowering the bottle-gripping-head 103 from the position V into the position VI thereof, releasing the bottles in the position VI, and thereupon lifting the bottle-gripping-head 103 back to the initial position corresponding to the position 1.

Each of these periods will be initiated or permitted only when all requirements for faultless and continuous completion of the respective period are present.

Each separate stage or step of the operating cycle of each period is controlled in each position of the bottlegripping-head 1193 in such a way that they will be initiated only if the bottle-gripping-head proceeds from the predetermined preceding position.

It is also understood that the individual control devices such as the impulse control devices and slide valve assemblies of which one embodiment each has been illustrated and described herein for purposes of illustration, may be modified in many ways insofar as the actual construction thereof is concerned without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the separate individual impulse control valves may be constructed as cam-geared slide valves, operatively connected with one another by a series connection.

Case Conveyor Mechanism Referring now to FIGURES 10, 11 and 12, which illustrate the case conveying mechanism, a first conveyor system generally designated by reference numeral 216 is shown in FIGURES 10 and 12 which is adapted to carry the cases from a case storage (not shown) to the packing machine in accordance with the present invention where they are to be filled with a predetermined number of bottles in the upright position thereof. If there is any question of space in the location of the packing machine, the first conveyor 214 may be placed in proximity to the ceiling. The conveyor 211) includes a conveyor belt 211 which is driven from an electric motor 212 operatively connected with one end of the conveyor belt 211 as shown in FIGURES 10 and 12.

The first conveyor belt 211 does not extend all the way to the end of the upper conveyor system 210 but instead a number of rollers 213 forming a downwardly sloping gravity-type conveyor section of a length slightly longer than the length of an empty case are provided intermediate the end of the belt conveyor 211, 211' and the last roller 214 of the first conveyor system 210. The last roller 214 of the first conveyor system 210 of the rollers 211', 213 and 214 arranged in series is mounted so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and is operative to control two valves 215 and 216 (FIGURE 12) which control the supply of the empty cases to the packing machine.

The valves 215 and 216 are straight-way air valves which close under the influence of a control force thereby causing an impulse producing over pressure in the connecting air lines 217 and 218, respectively. The impulse control valves 215 and 216 may thereby be constructed in a manner identical with that of the impulse control valve 57 illustrated in FIGURE 8.

Upon closure of the impulse control valve 215, an overpressure is permitted to build up in the connecting line 217 connecting the impulse control valve 215 with the pneumatic control slide valve 219. Compressed air is supplied to the pneumatic control slide valve 219 over supply line 229. A line 221 interconnects the control slide valve 219 with an actuating cylinder 222 provided with a piston reciprocating therein which actuates the rearwardly disposed hooking arm portion 223 of a pivotally secured hooking arm 223 pivotally mounted on the pivot pin 224. The pneumatic control slide valve 219 may thereby be so constructed as to supply compressed air to the actuating cylinder 222 over connecting line 221 when the pressure in line 217 is permitted to increase upon actuation of the impulse control valve 215. The control slide valve 219 may thereby be constructed in a manner similar to that of the control slide valve 12s of FIGURE 8.

The pivotally mounted hooking arm 223 is provided with an outer hook-shaped end portion 225 which is so arranged that as the hooking arm 223 is pivoted outwardly, i.e., counterclockwise as viewed in FIGURE 12, the hook-shaped end portion 225 thereof comes to lie in the path of the case on conveyor 21th, and more particularly projects itself in front of the case rolling down under the force of gravity on the rollers 213, and thereby stops the empty case at the end of the case conveyor section 219. At the same time, the rearwardly disposed arm portion 223 of the hooking arm 223 actuates an electric switch 226 schematically illustrated in FIGURE 12, which is operatively connected over a suitable contact 227 to stop the driving motor 212. The connection between the electric switch 226 and the electric contact 227 is made in any conventional manner so that the control influence of the electric switch 226 is operative to stop the driving motor 212 which will remain stopped thereafter, i.e., remain de-energized even if the switch 226 is no longer actuated thereupon, whereas the control influence of another switch 22$ will be necessary in order to restart or reenergize the driving motor 212. The switch 228 will be described more fully hereinafter. The entire transportation or conveyance of the case over the last section of the case conveyor system 219 is so timed that the empty case rolls down quicker over the rollers 213 than the normal supply speed of the next following cases which are transported on the conveyor belt 211, in such a way that as the first case arrives on the roller 21 1-, actuation of the impulse control valve 215 stops the driving motor 212 before the next following case has been transported on the conveyor belt 211 such a distance that it would also be able to roll down by gravity on the rollers 213. Consequently, the first case will stand by itself at the front end of the case conveyor 21%, resting against the hook portion 225 of the hook arm 223 while the next following case is effectively stopped a short distance from the first case, i.e., a short distance from the front end of the conveyor belt 211 even though the cases were originally transported on the conveyor belt 211 essentially end-to-end with the first case.

A second conveyor system in the form of an endless chain 229 is provided in the case conveyor system which runs over an upper sprocket wheel 23% and a lower sprocket wheel 231 and which carries altogether a plurality for example, three lifting forks, all designated by reference numerals 232. Each lifting fork 232 is so adjusted as to lift a case off the end of the first case conveyor 219 and to lower it as the second conveyor 229 moves downwardly. Consequently, the vertical conveyor 22? acts as a bucket-type elevator which lowers each empty case as it arrives at the front end of the first conveyor 219 in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter. The lower sprocket 231 is driven over a clutch designated by reference numeral 233 which also will be described more fully hereinafter from a continuously operating electric motor 234. The base 234 of the motor 234, however, is mounted so as to be tiltable about a tilting shaft 235. The tilting movement of the base 234' for the motor 234 is realized by a pneumatic cylinder 236 which is so located in the system that the piston rod thereof is operative to tilt the motor 234 upwardly, i.e., in a clockwise direction in FIGURES and 12.

The clutch 233 consists of two wheels, the circumference of which are in frictional contact with each other. As soon as the base 234' and therewith the motor 234 are tilted upwardly by actuation of the cylinder ass and the piston provided with piston rod 236 the lower clutch wheel 23?: is tilted out of engagement with the upper clutch wheel 233 so that the drive of the lower sprocket wheel 231 is thereby effectively stopped whereupon the bucket elevator 22? ceases to operate.

The disconnecting control cylinder 235 which is operative to stop the movement of the bucket elevator 229 as described hereinabove is supplied with compressed air over a control slide valve 237 in which terminates a compressed air supply line 238 and a connecting line 239 operatively connecting control slide valve 237 with the actuating cylinder 236. Another line 249 interconnects the control slide valve 237 with the impulse control valve 241.

The impulse control valve 216 which is also actuated by the vertically movable roller member 214 located at the end of the upper conveyor system 21 is so interconnected with the control slide valve 237 over line 218 that the slide assembly within the control slide valve 237 is displaced into a position in which the supply of compressed air is severed or disconnected as soon as the impulse control valve 216 is closed by actuation thereof to thereby relieve the cylinder 236 of the compressed air, re-engage clutch 233, and therewith re-start operation of the bucket elevator 229, assuming under these circumstances that no other control impulse is produced at the same time by the impulse control valve 241 which is operatively connected with the control slide valve 237 over line 24%. The effect of the im ulse control valve 241 operatively connected with the control slide valve 237 over line 249 will be described more fully hereinafter.

A third case conveyor system generally described by reference numeral 42 is provided in the conveyor system for the empty cases in accordance with the present invention which is driven by a drive arrangement 243 driving the first section thereof. The transmission or drive means 243 itself is driven from the same shaft as the lower sprocket wheel 231 of the bucket elevator 229. Consequently, the empty cases will be carried forwardly on the conveyor 42 only while the bucket elevator 229 is also running.

The conveyor section 42 is also a roller-type conveyor. Rubber V-belts 245 engage around the first three rollers 244 of the conveyor system 42 which together with these three rollers 244 obtain thereby a good grip under the case transported thereon and thereby carry the same forwardly in the direction of the packing machine. Of the next five rollers generally designated generally by reference numeral 246, the first, third and fifth rollers 246a, 246c and 246e are positively driven by a chain 247 whereas the second and fourth rollers 2246b and 246d are idling rollers. The rollers 245a, 2460 and 24hr: that are positively driven are roughened-up at the surfaces thereof in order to enhance the conveyance or transporting characteristics thereof. An idling roller 248 is disposed between the second and third rollers 24617 and 246a which is pivotally mounted on upright lugs 249 (FIGURE 12) secured approximately to the center of the hook-shaped rods 25!) which themselves are pivotally supported at the rear end thereof on a shaft 251 and are provided at the opposite end thereof, i.e., the end farthest away from the bucket elevator 229 with hook-shaped portions 252. The hook-shaped rods 250 are normally urged upwardly by respective springs 253. The rearwardly extending projections 252' and 252" are pivot ally secured intermediate the ends thereof so as to form efiectively actuating levers. As a result of such an arrangement, the upper ends of levers 252 and 252" are adapted to be engaged by the arrival of an empty case, thereby pivoting the same in such a manner that the lower ends of levers 252' and 252" pivot in a backward direction and therewith press against the actuating pin members 187 of impulse control valves 57 and 241.

The arrangement of the third conveyor section 42 is such that when an empty case is put down on the third conveyor system 42 from the bucket conveyor 229, it is gripped by the first rollers 244- provided with the aforementioned V-belts 245 and is thereby carried forwardly as long as these rollers 244 are driven over the drive arrange ment 243 from the common drive means also driving the bucket elevator 229. Furthermore, the first driven roller of the driven roller section 246 driven in any suitable manner will also continue to carry an empty case for- Wardly; however, the idling roller 24% normally rises above the level of the second and third rollers 2461) and 246a so that an empty case will only climb up over the idling roller 248 to such an extent that it will rest with its rear edge thereof just barely past the first roller 246a but will not be carried any further under these circumstances. Only the arrival of a new empty case behind the first empty case in the row of cases on conveyor track 42 will push the first empty case over the upwardly extending idling roller 24% and will thereby tip it over the obstacle formed thereby so that the first case thereby clears the obstacle in the form of the idling roller 248 and is there upon moved on until it abuts against the hook-shaped end portions 252 of the two hook-shaped rods 259.

The tension springs 253 are adjusted in such a manner that when an empty case rests on the idling roller 248 the hook-shaped rods 2% will be in the upper position thereof and thereby block any further movement of the case. However, when the empty case is filled with bottles upon discharge of the bottles from the bottle-grippinghead 103, which in practice means that the weight thereof is increased by an additional ten to fifteen kilograms, this extra weight will press down the idling roller 248 thereby also pressing down the hook-shaped rods 250 operatively connected therewith. The respective dimensions of the parts have thereby been so selected and adjusted that the hook-shaped end portions 252 of the hookshaped rods 25%? are pushed below the upper edges of the rollers 246 whereupon the impulse .control valves 57 and 241 are again disengaged and the filled case is carried forwardly by the driven rollers 246 wlfich now come into gripping engagement with the underside of this case. After having passed the driven fifth roller 245e, the conveyor section 42 passes over into an inclined roller conveyor section 254 for taking away the filled cases under the force of gravity. Only the first portion of the inclined roller conveyor section 254 is illustrated in FIGURE 10.

In order to guide the empty cases correctly within the section containing the hook-shaped rods St guide rails 255 (FIGURE 11) having leaf springs (not shown) are provided which exert a certain frictional engagement against the sides of the cases thereby prevent ng any unintentional forward movement or conveyance thereof.

Impulse control valves 241 and 57 which are of the straight-way impulse valves illustrated in FIGURE 8 in connection with the impulse control valve 57, are pro vided along the upper edges of the hook-shaped rods 250 in the path to be actuated by lever arms 252' and 252" pivotally secured, for example, to the hook-shaped end portions 252. The valve 241 is thereby operatively connected over line 24% with the control slide valve 237 which is actuated thereby upon closure of valve 241 in such a manner as to supply compressed air from supply line 238 over valve 237 to line 239 and therewith to cylinder 236 whenever the front edge of a case shoves against the hook-portion 252 whereby clutch 233 and therewith the drive for the bucket elevator 229 and the third conveyor system 42 is stopped. The other valve 57 is operatively connected with the pneumatic control system controlling the filling of the bottles into the case as described in connection with FIGURE 8.

In order to complete the description of the forward conveying system for the empty cases, it may be mentioned that the starting motor switch 228 (FIGURES 10 and 12) for controlling the starting operation of the belt 211 on the conveyor section 21.1 9 is suitably placed or secured to the frame of the bucket elevator 229 in such a manner that the outwardly pointing arm 259 thereof projects into the path of the lifting forks 232 when the same are moved upwardly in order to catch another empty case at the end of the conveyor section 219. The switch 228 is thereby so constructed and interconnected with the control system that in case the driving motor 212 is already energized, i.e., rotates, nothing will happen when the arm 259 is actuated. However, if motor 212 is deenergized, actuation of the switch 223 by engagement of the lifting forks 232 with the arm 259 thereof will start the driving motor 212 provided the disconnecting motor switch 222 is not actuated at the same time. If this were the case, nothing would happen then nor when the switch 226 is released subsequently thereto.

These control features are realized in practice in any well known manner, for instance, with the aid of a relay having lock-in contacts whereby the motor switch 226 is inserted into the lock-in contact circuit and switch 228 in a connecting circuit.

Operation of the Case Conveyor System The mode of operation of the forward conveying system for the empty cases in accordance with the present invention is as follows:

Empty cases are brought forwardly in a more or less continuous flow on the conveyor section 210 until a case has been carried forwardly over bucket elevator 229 all the way, i.e., until it rests against the hook-shaped end portions 252. Necessarily, an empty case must be just behind the first one because the next to the first case is used to shove the first case over the obstacle formed by the idling roller 248. Furthermore, an empty case is also apt to be on its way down on a lifting fork 232 of the bucket elevator 229, and an empty case is in all probability at that time at the end of the conveyor section 210. If an empty case is not at the end of the conveyor section 21%, the conveyor belt 211 will continue to operate until an empty case is brought forwardly to this point thereby causing the motor 212 driving the belt 211 to stop by ac tuation of control roller 214 which, when pressed down, actuates impulse control valve 215. In addition thereto, an empty case is apt to be at the end of the conveyor belt 211 as the empty cases are generally transported end to end while on the conveyor belt 211.

As an empty case is brought into position at the filling place in the packing machine, the forward end thereof will actuate the lever arms 252' and 252 thereby closing the impulse control valves 57 and 241. Actuation of the impulse control valve will shift the control slide valve 237 into the position thereof in which compressed air is supplied to the cylinder 236 over line 239 whereby the base 234' together with the motor 234 is tilted by actuation of the piston 236' so as to disengage the clutch 233 whereby both the bucket elevator 229 and the third conveyor system 232 are stopped. Thus, whenever an empty case rests against the hook-shaped members 250, the impulse control valve 241 is actuated which in turn will control the control slide valve 237 so as to disengage the clutch and therewith the driving motor 234 from the sec- 0nd and third conveyor systems 239 and 42, respectively. The control slide valve 237 will thereby remain in this position disengaging the clutch 233 even after the valve 241 is no longer actuated, i.e., after the empty case is filled and is moved forwardly as a result of depressing the roller member 248 by the additional weight of the filled case. The control slide valve 237 can be returned to the position thereof in which the cylinder 236 is connected with the discharge, i.e., to the position thereof in which the clutch 233 is re-engaged only by actuation of the impulse control valve 216, i.e., with an empty case positioned at the last roller member 214 of the first conveyor system. The control slide valve 237 is thereby so constructed, in any suitable manner, for example, as described hereinabove, that the impulse control valve 241 dominates over the impulse control valve 216 so that the control slide valve 237 remains in the stop position when both valves 241 and 216 are simultaneously actuated. However, as soon as the impulse control valve 241 is released, i.e., as soon as the empty case has been filled with bottles, the impulse control valve will now take over the control function to control the control slide valve 237 to return the latter to the driving position thereof in which the clutch 

1. A PACKING MACHINE FOR PACKING OBJECTS IN A PACKING MEMBER, COMPRISING FIRST MEANS FOR FEEDING THE OBJECTS TO A FIRST POSITION WITHIN SAID MACHINE, SECOND MEANS FOR FEEDING THE PACKING MEMBERS TO A SECOND POSITION WITHIN SAID MACHINE, THIRD MEANS INCLUDING OBJECT GRIPPING MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY TRANSFERRING THE OBJECTS FROM SAID FIRST POSITION TO SAID SECOND POSITION TO BE PACKED THEREAT IN A PACKING MEMBER, AND OPERATING CYCLE CONTROL MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF SAID FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD MEANS INCLUDING FIRST CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAID FIRST MEANS TO SUPPLY SAID OBJECTS TO SAID FIRST POSITION WITHIN SAID MACHINE IN A PREDETERMINED MANNER, SECOND CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAID SECOND MEANS TO SUPPLY SAID PACKING MEMBERS TO SAID SECOND PO- 